The Georgia state legislature has passed a bill protecting farmers’ continued access to crop protection tools.  The bill had strong, bipartisan support in both chambers and is now headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.

Modern Ag Alliance Executive Director Elizabeth Burns-Thompson says the Georgia state legislature signaled to lawmakers nationwide that they must stand with farmers and safeguard their access to critical crop protection tools.

In a statement shared with Brownfield Ag News, Bayer CropScience says it is hopeful Governor Kemp will sign the bill into law.  The company says the passage of the legislation was an important win for the state’s farmers and its ag industry.  Bayer says it is optimistic other states will follow Georgia’s lead in supporting farmers. 

SB 144 ensures that any pesticide registered with the U.S. EPA, and sold under a label consistent with the EPA’s standards, is sufficient to satisfy state label warning requirements. The bill also states that federally approved pesticide labels are the law and that companies cannot be subject to relentless litigation for following the law.

Several Georgia agriculture organizations also supported the legislation. 

Senate Bill 144 passed the Georgia Senate 42-12 and was approved by the state House by 101-48.

Source - https://www.brownfieldagnews.com